


Circus Tricks

by Izzy_at_Night



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Animals, Aziraphale likes the circus, Bargaining, Circus, Demon Snake, Historical, Idiots in Love, M/M, Rescues, Snake Crowley, attempts at history not really, crowley is a snake, crowley is an idiot, ish, returing of favours, snake boi, trying to be historically accurate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-25 20:48:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20032123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Izzy_at_Night/pseuds/Izzy_at_Night
Summary: its 1864 and Aziraphale was looking for a good night out and instead has to rescue his longest friend from the jaws of humiliation.Or: Crowley accidentally becomes the prize exhibit at a circus





	Circus Tricks

**September 14th 1864. **

There was a lot to be taken account for when Aziraphale went out at night. Firstly, he only ever did such things if he thought he would enjoy himself, or if there happened to be food of some kind that would be offered. Secondly, He made sure to lock the doors of his bookshop tightly. He prided himself on that of keeping all of his books tidy, and the angel defiantly didn't need anyone messing around destroying his perfectly organized books. 

And so, top hat on his head, and white gloves pressed and neatly covering his hands. Aziraphale began the walk from his apartment. His destination, was that of a gift one of his most faithful customers had given him, a ticket to see the travelling circus! Creatures great and small from China to Mexico, had traveled to London to preform acts of magic and awe. Aziraphale was rather excited, the word around town was that the highlight of the whole show was the black snake. The mysterious serpent that convinced you to do the terrible, commit horrors, make crime an everyday hobby!

The noises of the colourful tents were getting louder, as Aziraphale grew closer to those red and white tents. The chatter of excitement, and oh so much love, was heightened. Before when Aziraphale had come here, he'd only felt fragments in the large field the circus now occupied. But now, waves of the stuff was pouring off, it nearly made Aziraphale stumble backwards. He strolled closer, taking off his hat once he reached the illuminated gates.

"Ticket please?" said a man with a large handlebar moustache.

"Yes, here it is!" Aziraphale reached into his coat pocket, and pulled out the small slip of paper.

The man looked it over, and stamped it with a symbol of ink, "enjoy yourself" he said, sliding it back to the angel.

"I will!" He gave the man a smile.

The gates themselves were quite impressive to step though, they held a sort of aura of great respect. When Aziraphale took his first few steps through the gate, he was greeted with a sight to behold.

Towering tents, taller than most buildings in London, stood proud against the night sky. Nearly a-hundred signs all pointing at different attractions accompanied them with words like. "THE BEST POPCORN AROUND" and "GIANT MEN AND WOMEN WITH BEARDS." Aziraphale was bumped into three different times by children with taffy apples, or couples holding bags of what he assumed was the popcorn. Boys with large pink clouds sat on benches stuffing it into their faces, as girls with multicoloured ribbons or fans ran past him excitedly. One pattern though that was common amongst all of the crowd, was the black snake. Everyone that came from the tent that held that exhibit, came with exited and fearful smiles, and left feeling jittery and nervous. Like they had just done something illegal. Even Aziraphale himself was getting a kind of spooky feeling from that tent, which was unusual seeing as the entire circus flooded with love. 

He made the decision to figure out why he was feeling that way and joined the long line of people exited to see this mysterious serpent. 

After about 15 minutes of patiently waiting, The tent curtain was finally pulled back to reveal a stage, elevated above a set of chairs. Aziraphale took the one closest to the front. 

"Bit weird 'aint it?" said someone behind the angel. Aziraphale turned. 

"Whatever do you mean?" 

Aziraphale was greeted with a woman who looked somewhat in her 40's making a toothy grin at him. "This whole serpent business. Snakes are wily things aren't they?" 

"I suppose" Aziraphale answered. 

"I mean they are the original sin," 

Aziraphale tensed, yes. The whole original sin, how could he forget. Garden of eden, and of course Crowley. better known then as Crawly. 

"well I don't know... perhaps" 

The woman opened her mouth to continue the conversation but was cut short when a booming voice shouted above the rest of the chatter inside the tent. 

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I GIVE YOU THE MYSTERIOUS, THE ILLUSTRIOUS, BLACK SNAKE!"

The chatter died down into murmurs when Aziraphale watched as a large cage was wheeled out from behind velvet curtains. Inside the cage was an enormous black mass of scales. It shifted as the crows gasped at its size. Once it was centred at the middle of the stage, the stage master, tapped the metal bars. It woke the beast and it stirred, lifted it's head and yawned unceremoniously. It's eyes opened, but it had no normal set of of snake eyes. These were an evil yellow, piercing and menacing, and.... strangely familiar. 

Aziraphale blinked. He rubbed his eyes, he was seeing things. There was no way... 

But those eyes were unmistakeable, the scales brought back a frightfully intense recollection of memories. The snake was Crowley. 

The Angel stood, "Sir!" He said, "you must release that snake immediately!" What was he doing? he didn't need to rescue him! He didn't deserve that!

"And who are you to question me?" The stage master answered.

"Mr. Ezra Fell"

"Well Mr. Fell, That is a price I am not willing to pay. I went into a lot of trouble to acquire this beast!" 

_Yeah I bet you did. _Aziraphale whispered under his breath. The snake, made a face at him that almost looked rather like a scoff. 

"You must release him! He is very dangerous! I'm sorry I can't explain it to you but the longer you keep him locked up the more he will suffer!" 

It was then that the entire crowd, including the stage master burst into a fit of laughter. Aziraphale suddenly felt very small, and wished he hadn't come here at all. His face turned a very deep tomato red and he made to sit, when Crowley hissed loudly, quieting the crowd and making their attention turn directly to him. 

"I believe ya" said the woman Aziraphale had talked to earlier. Aziraphale nodded, in thanks. 

"thank you, who are you may I ask?" 

"Abagail Bernatt" The lady said, offering her hand up to the angel. He shook it awkwardly. 

"Mr. Fell, is a fool if he thinks that setting the Black Snake free will be the best thing to do tonight!" The stage master boomed, raising his arms up. the crowd whooped in agreement. 

"You could try and buy it" Abagail whispered. Aziraphale nodded, 

"I'll give ten grand for it!" He called out. 

The stage master looked shocked, "It aint for sale!" 

"20 grand then!" 

"The black snake isn't for sale! just like the rest of the animals here!" He continued. 

Aziraphale adjusted his overcoat and bowtie before saying, "Then I am rather sorry to have to do this"

He raised his hand and spoke, "When you awaken you will have had a lovely dream about whatever you like best" He clicked his fingers and the room froze in time.

Aziraphale sighed, looked once around the room making sure everything was in order. Then proceeded to climb the stairs of the stage to reach Crowley. The snake had not been affected by Aziraphale's magic and so just glared up at the angel as he removed the keys from the stage master's belt.

"I was fine on my own" The snake hissed.

"yes and you would be an act for how long? 100 years? maybe more? I couldn't let that happen." The angel replied fitting the key into the lock. 

The demon shrunk back when Aziraphale opened the cage door.

"Come on then you silly thing, lets get out of here" Aziraphale said, offering a hand out to the snake. 

Crowley looked defeated, but slithered up Aziraphale's arm anyways. He made himself rather comfortable amongst the shoulders of the angel. 

"Your not going to change back?" asked Aziraphale. 

"Sssssee the thing isss, I wasss acssidently cursssed a few yearsss back. I need paperwork from hell and permission to gain back my human form."

"I see" The angel replied.

"It would take quite a hefty miracle if I could change back now though." The demon whispered in Aziraphale's ear.

"I was reprimanded, I can't just go about making miracles willy-nilly!"

"Oh come on! One won't hurt! besides I need my human form for next week!" The serpent continued.

The angel gave up, "Fine, you owe me one then." 

The snake made a sort of hiss of agreement then slunk from Aziraphale's shoulder's onto the stage floor. He snapped his finger, and the snake no longer lay on the floor. In it's place stood a smartly dressed skinny man with flaming red hair, and a pair of rectangular sunglasses, covering the golden glow of his demonic eyes. 

"Now then, shall I restart time?" offered the angel. 

Crowley nodded, "Do it" 

\-------------

The angel and the demon left the circus that night with a bottle of red, and a taffy apple each. Crowley had swallowed his whole, and was slightly licking the remaining caramel from the stick the apple had been on. While Aziraphale happily munched on his own apple. Another thing they had left the circus with was the nice woman from the tent's address. Aziraphale was flattered by human's means of courting. But really had no intention of taking her up on it. He had other things to worry about than the romantic affairs of humans. 

And another thing, he didn't need a human to worry about. He spent far to much time worrying about a certain demon anyways. 


End file.
